I would say that my first major move as a big girl was the butterfly. I have it ~ 6 months (?) to officially start the polls. However, keep in mind that he was a stripper, so he could go up and invest before going to an official class. Not that they were good, clean investments back then.
Trust me, it's better to start slow and learn a good technique than to learn to do it quickly and carelessly and have to unlearn bad habits. The BAR Level program: pole dancing for beginners. If you make pole dancing a fun experience for students, you'll likely have a much higher rate of progression. Only once a week, but I want to have my own walking stick in the next two months so I can practice whenever I want.
I think you should get off to a good start. I've made a lot of progress in the first 3 months without practicing any more outside of class, and my studio offered free practice time twice a week for those who didn't have sticks at home. When you feel comfortable balancing around your cane with the high notes of Frankie Avalon's “La Di Da Di”, you'll be able to do just fine. As soon as you stop worrying about the amount of time you need and how soon you should practice the skills you learn, you can start learning how to pole dance.
I've heard good things about people using stress balls or a grip enhancer to help hold onto the cane. They know more tricks, have more experience, are more engaged and willing than children who have never seen pole dancing before. Strength, a good amount of flexibility and body awareness are very important for everything related to pole riding, but so is not being afraid of looking stupid and wanting to dance. Some advanced pole dancers can roll over, lift deadlifts and fall in a way that will blow them away, but they care much less about dancing and flowing.
Most pole dancing instruction manuals indicate that it takes a minimum of 10 to 15 weeks to learn pole dancing. A year later, I liked to dance around the pole, but that's because the studio I went to focused on that and on basic tricks more than anything else. As with any skill, the more you practice with a particular pole dancer, the more you'll become familiar with the movements and the more you can use them to your advantage.
